Team report: Houston Texans

Top player in 2006

Andre Johnson, WR — He was tied with a few others for the team lead in touchdowns (5) and actually made the AFC Pro Bowl roster. The problem for fantasy owners is the majority of Johnson's production came early in the year; he had only one TD-reception after Week 8 and was basically useless in the last three weeks of the season (ie fantasy playoff time).

Top sleeper in 2006
Owen Daniels, TE — The Texans weren't usually a great source of fantasy production, but Daniels surprised everyone by having a great stretch with some solid production. The end result was 352 receiving yards, which could have been better, and five touchdown grabs, which was well beyond what most expected.

Top flop in 2006
David Carr, QB — He improved in his first three years in the league, but has since regressed. Carr finished 2006 with only 11 touchdown passes and 2,767 passing yards, which doesn't even average out to 180 yards per game. Some Texan fans are rejoicing because he is no longer Houston's expensive problem.

Top off-season additions
# Draft: DT Amobi Okoye, WR Jacoby Jones, CB Fred Bennett and SS Brandon Harrison

# Free agency: QB Matt Schaub, RB Ahman Green, LT Jordan Black, LB Shawn Barber, LB Danny Clark, CB Jamar Fletcher

The team basically employed the best player available strategy and tried to plug as many holes as possible by drafting on both sides of the ball. Okoye is the type of player who could finally help the defensive line push forward instead of getting pushed backwards in the scrum. Maybe he'll eventually tie up more than one player and allow Mario Williams to storm after opposing quarterbacks, but that won't happen in his rookie year. Jacoby Jones will have all the chances he needs to become a factor in the offense, as Andre Johnson is the only incumbent lock as a wide receiver starter.

The Texans were busy bees in free agency, and it's not often where teams will have a new starting quarterback and running back the following season. The team is putting an ocean of faith into Matt Schaub, but it's hard to imagine he'll be miles better than Carr was right off the bat. Some Texan running backs were able to break off some decent games near the end of 2006, so 1,000 yards may not be out of reach for a more talented Ahman Green.

Top off-season losses
David Carr, the first-ever Texans draft pick, lost 31 more games than he won as a starter. Eric Moulds finished second on the team last seasonm with 57 catches, but he departed via free agency after a brief stint in Houston. Once-decent running back Domanick Davis/Williams is simply not healthy enough to play anymore, and LB Antwan Peek left for Cleveland.

Who will surprise in 2007?
Matt Schaub, QB — The team is banking on him big-time. He's started a grand total of two games in his career, so there isn't much data with which to work. All we can do is speculate that his physical skills will make him a little more effective than Carr, but the Texans still have issues on the left side of their offensive line. Schaub won't be too effective if he has to constantly throw on the run.

Fantasy depth chart
QB1: Matt Schaub
QB2: Sage Rosenfels
QB3: Bradlee Van Pelt


RB1: Ahman Green
RB2: Ron Dayne
RB3: Samkon Gado
RB4: Wali Lundy


WR1: Andre Johnson
WR2: Kevin Walter
WR3: Jerome Mathis
WR4: David Anderson
WR5: Andre Davis


TE1: Owen Daniels
TE2: Jeb Putzier


K: Kris Brown